EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION......................

Overview

High-quality early childhood education has the greatest positive effect on children from lower socioeconomic status, children who are at risk because of other circumstances, and children with disabilities and special needs (Stegelin, 2004). Recent brain research has verified the importance of cognitive and social development in the early years (Begley, 2000).

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Early Childhood Education Is Needed

One of the most significant findings to emerge from research on dropouts is that early identification is vital to effective prevention. Although we tend to think of students dropping out during their last years of high school, many are lost long before that. Social and task-related behavioral problems that develop into school adjustment problems can be identified at the beginning of the elementary grades. The dropout problem is not one that can be addressed exclusively at the middle or high school levels; by then it is too late for some students.

What Is Early Childhood Education?

The earlier a problem is identified and addressed, the greater will be the impact on students in at-risk situations. Over 20 years of research has determined that high-quality early childhood education is:

·         Holistic;

·         Nurturing;

·         Consistent;

·         Hands-On;

·         Stimulating;

·         Exploratory; and

·         Integrates interactive learning across the curriculum (Stegelin, 2004).

Head Start has been the source of more than 30 years of research. Two of the best known studies are the Perry Preschool Study (Barnett, 1995) and the Consortium of Longitudinal Studies (Lazar, Darlington, Murray, Royce & Snipper, 1982). The Perry study found that "…one dollar invested in high-quality early childhood education programs by policymakers results in a return of seven dollars in preventative costs associated with incarceration, truancy, school dropout, and teen pregnancy" (Stegelin, 2004). The most effective way to reduce the number of children who will ultimately drop out is to provide the best possible classroom instruction from the beginning of their school experience. Studies of birth-to-three interventions demonstrate that both child-centered and family-centered strategies often can make a lasting difference. These prevention strategies place infants and toddlers in stimulating, developmentally appropriate environments for part of each day. Family members are trained and given materials to help them stimulate their children's cognitive development, handle discipline and health problems, and develop vocational and home management skills.